By day, Sharon Bolton is a skilled and dedicated Theatre Practitioner at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, serving as Team Leader in Gynaecology Theatres.
By night and at weekends, she’s an award-winning hockey coach, nurturing the next generation of talent across Lancashire.
From Walton-le-Dale, Sharon has worked in the Trust since 2006, with her current role seeing her support colorectal, gynae-oncology and obstetric surgeries in the Sharoe Green Unit.
Her passions don’t end in theatre, however. Off shift, she’s on the hockey pitch – coaching, mentoring, and inspiring young athletes across the county.
In 2023, she received a Highly Commended Coach of the Year award at the Active Lancashire Awards, presented by former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis at Ewood Park.
Sharon said: “The work I do is really important. I’ve been in the Trust for quite a while, I was here from the early ’90s and 2000s, before I took some time out to gain experience in other hospitals, but I’ve been here for the majority of my career, since 2006.
“I’m a team leader in gynae theatres. Then in the evenings, I coach hockey. Hockey has always been my release from the stresses of work. After a tough day in theatre, I go straight to the pitch. The kids' energy is infectious – you get into the session and go home feeling recharged.”
Her commitment to inclusivity in sport was evident in her eight years as Head Junior Coach at Preston Hockey Club, where she dedicated countless volunteer hours to creating opportunities for children from all backgrounds to get involved in hockey: “England Hockey is trying to make county hockey more accessible and to deliver a slightly higher standard of coaching that children might not have access to. Children who go to independent schools often get weekly hockey sessions, games, and coaching. In contrast, many state school children don’t get that. At Preston, I was proud that 90% of our players came from state schools, a
nd I worked to offer them the same structure and opportunities as those in independent schools.”
Then in September last year she stepped back from that role to become Lancashire Girls’ County Head Coach and Administrator.
One of her proudest achievements has been devising and launching the Red Rose Raiders Programme – a pioneering initiative aimed at supporting talented young athletes who narrowly missed out on county selection: “I proposed a development programme for girls under the county umbrella. I reached out to girls who didn’t make the county squad and invited them to join a monthly three-hour training camp. It’s about giving them more coaching, building confidence, and celebrating their progress.
"A lot of schools don’t offer team sports, and hockey gives them structure, a safe space, and a community. They meet kids from different schools and backgrounds – it’s their escape and a support system. Once they have that, they often stay in the sport.
“I want to capture that moment when a girl feels like giving up and show her there’s still a place for her in hockey – even if she didn’t make the county team. The development programme gives them a second chance, with high-level coaching and a sense of belonging.”
Now, Sharon has furthered her coaching career, having been added to Fylde Hockey Club’s coaching team as Junior Development Coach, where she will be passing on her knowledge and expertise from the start of June.
